Wednesday, September 19

Poor LaVelle. She's been dog of the week for almost a month, and yet there has been not a single application for her. Her foster mom bemoans the fact that this lovely, gentle, kind dog is not appealing to more adopters.

"Poor Ms. LaVelle, dog of the week and not one application. She doesn't
know. I know what they are missing! LaVelle may not be the prettiest
girl at the ball, still, she is the sweetest. She is so attentive, just
stares into your eyes and absorbs every word you say. She is a listener.
Her new thing is to bring me a bone at 7:30 am and run to her bowl and
drop it in: "Time for Breakfast!" She does the same thing for dinner @ 4:30. Our other dogs eat @ 10
and 7.

"I want her to have her own home, where she can laze on the couch
constantly and use her fabulous bark to fend off potential enemies. We
just love her, and I pray for that perfect home. She would be a perfect
companion to a stay at home person. LaVelle is not irritating at all, in
fact, she is a perfect lady. She adores our furboys, especially FBRN
Grad Moose (she Mom's him and he let's her, she knows he's blind) and
all people. She is a real joy to foster."

Saturday, September 15

This week, we heard one of the most heartbreaking stories we can remember hearing.

A volunteer received a call from a woman whose husband, a conservation agent, stopped a man who was carrying a gun as the man emerged from a wooded area. He learned that the man had been trying to shoot his injured dog because he claimed he could not afford vet care, but though he was shooting at point blank range, the dog escaped from the grave he'd put him in and had run off. The agent and the man searched for and found the injured Frenchie.

The agent persuaded the man to turn the dog over to rescue, and his wife made a call to us.

The nearest available volunteer was 3 hours away and when she got the call she was just wrapping up her daughter's 10th birthday party. Mom and daughter got in the car and drove to pick up the injured dog. When they returned to the volunteer's vet, it became apparent that the dog, named Zion, had been struck by a car about 2 weeks prior, and had been suffering with a shattered pelvis all that time.

In addition, at some point he'd been shot with a shotgun--not in the woods earlier that day, because these pellets were healed over.

The vet recommended euthanasia for Zion, and while her daughter waited outside the room, our volunteer held this gentle dog as he crossed the Bridge.

We understand the conservation agent is preparing a case against the man who tried at least twice to kill his dog and allowed Zion to suffer needlessly for two weeks. The vet who saw him that day offered to participate in any way he can in prosecuting the owner.

The world is full of ignorance and there are many sad stories in it, and those of us who do rescue hear a lot of them. This one was particularly difficult. Please take a moment to consider how fortunate your dog is, and please consider donating to a rescue organization in your town or to FBRN in Zion's memory.

We offer many thanks to our volunteer and especially to her daughter, who learned a very hard, sad lesson on what should have been a very happy day. Rest in peace, Zion. You were a very good dog.

Saturday, September 1

Earlier this week, Pipsqueak's owners called and asked to surrender their 8-year-old brindle boy to us because they are going to be traveling and away from home, and in the months since their other dog passed away Pipsqueak has become lonely and depressed.

We picked him up and took him into foster care. A day or two ago his foster mom discovered a large, cherry-sized lump on Pipsqueak's penis that could only be seen when the lump "popped out" of the sheath.

After a fast trip to the vet, the tumor was diagnosed as a mast cell tumor. When we looked closely at his vet records, we saw that the owner had seen the lump two years ago and had taken her dog to one of a national chain of veterinary clinics and had been told that her dog had a deformity, but that neutering would help reduce the size of the lump. She believed the vet. She didn't get a second opinion.

Now, Pipsqueak is facing an expensive surgery to remove the tumor. It's a complex surgery because of the location of the tumor, but we are going ahead with it because after xrays and ultrasound, there is no sign that the cancer has spread, even after two years. Mast cell is very common in Frenchies, and it is very treatable when it is caught before it spreads.

Pip is in considerable pain when the tumor "pops out" from inside the sheath (as you can see it has in this photo) because the penis can't retract. The tumor has grown so large that urination is difficult.

His foster mom reports that possibly due to his pain or his confusion about the change in his circumstances, Pipsqueak is a very needy boy. He gets so upset when he is left alone that he will throw up. He'll only eat if she sits beside him on the floor. At just 12 pounds, he is a very tiny little wee thing--hence the name Pipsqueak!

Pipsqueak is so new he doesn't have his own foster page, yet. He'll be on the website on Thursday or Friday this week.

Thank you for helping! We'll keep you posted on Pip's progress, promises

The Frog Princess

This is a photo of young Pipsqueak in his salad days.

PS Frenchies (and boxers and a few other breeds) are prone to mast cell tumors, and most vets are very aware of this sad fact. If your dog has an unusual growth, regardless of its location, be sure to take your dog to the vet immediately. If the growth changes quickly, or you aren't satisfied with your vet's diagnosis, don't be afraid to get a second opinion.